


𝘋𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘺 (𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦) 𝘓𝘪𝘦𝘴

by Arthuria_PenDragon



Series: ❦ 𝕂𝕟𝕊: 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔽𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕪 ❦ [19]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst/Hurt, Bad Coaching, Bad Teaching, Blackmail, Broken Friendships, Broken Promises, Childhood Friends, Expectations, Friends to Enemies, Gen, Gift Fic, Given Names, GoM as a Family, GoM calling each other by given name/nickname is a thing, Inspired by Music, Kuroko HATES Number 11, Lies, Loss, Loss of Trust, Mentor & Protégé, Mentor/Protégé, Nicknames, Not Canon Compliant, One Shot, Perfectionism, Pressure, Sad, Sanada Naoto Being An Asshole, Sanada Naoto is a Bad Teacher, Song: Empty Eyes (Within Temptation), Supportive Generation of Miracles, Team as Family, Teikou Era, Teikou VS Meikou, Teikou's A+ Coaching, Teikou's A+ Teaching, Winners Mentality, Wordcount: 5.000-15.000, frienemies, kind of, white lies, you won’t convince me otherwise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-20 09:55:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30003114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arthuria_PenDragon/pseuds/Arthuria_PenDragon
Summary: Following the Teikō VS Meikō National Finals in their Third Year... nothing is the same for Kuroko Tetsuya ever again. He tried, tried toprotectOgiwara, but it went oh-so badly...He still had his teammates, but the scar of losing his first-ever friend will always linger...
Relationships: Akashi Seijuurou & Kuroko Tetsuya, Generation of Miracles & Generation of Miracles, Generation of Miracles & Kuroko Tetsuya, Kiseki no Sedai | Generation of Miracles & Kuroko Tetsuya, Kuroko Tetsuya & Ogiwara Shigehiro
Series: ❦ 𝕂𝕟𝕊: 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔽𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕪 ❦ [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2021426
Comments: 16
Kudos: 41





	𝘋𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘺 (𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦) 𝘓𝘪𝘦𝘴

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheDoctorDonna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDoctorDonna/gifts).



> Special shoutout to @TheDoctorDonna. 💖 Donna, thank you for raising your voice against that person, who practically copy-pasted part of my story, "Beasts Within". They DID NOT ask for permission to use my notes, nor did they properly link back. Anyway I appreciate what you've done and this is my gift, as a thank you.
> 
> @Zephyr312 and @Stef, my dear Beta, thank you for brainstorming with me and helping me make something cohesive and useful, out of my idea fragments! You two are wonderful!

**_Determined by your faith  
You attempt to make up  
You lay out your case  
Like the enemy  
But all that you got  
Through dirty white lies_ **

**_(...)_ **

**_I’m about to give in, I got nowhere to go  
Afraid of the sins  
I’m holding on  
There’s no other way  
No doubt in the end  
But I ain’t got a thing to lose, nothing to defend_ **

_—_ **Empty Eyes** BY _Within Temptation_

The team’s eyes narrowed on their coach. Sanada Naoto was a _certified_ _asshole_. That was something they’d all realised, after old Shirogane-kantoku was forced to retire, due to his illness. There was just something disturbing in the man’s presence. Akashi and Kuroko were the first ones to notice, that something was off with the man and those two were never wrong. So after the first month of Sanada being the Head Coach, all the First String kept their eyes on him. By the end of the second year, there was no man the First String hated more than Sanada.

The “Winning Is Everything“ mentality was strong in the whole school, that much the team had noticed and it was even stronger when it came to basketball. The basketball achievements were Teikō’s pride and the school intended to keep it that way. But Sanada made sure, that they never forgot.

They never failed. By the Third Year, they forgot even to have fun. Oh, they’d all started to play because basketball was fun —but then, came Teikō with their winners' mentality and the school demanded perfection. Nothing but _perfect_ was accepted. Anyone, who slacked off or lacked talent, had no future in Teikō, especially not in the basketball Club. Luckily, the infamous First String — nicknamed the _Kiseki no Sedai_ ,— had talent in spades, however that did not mean, they could allow themselves to relax.

The pressure was ever-present and Sanada forever reminding them, that failing to meet the standards would mean being demoted, did not help. Every single match they played, they played with a knot in the pits of their stomach, hoping to meet the standards.

And right now, the six of them ( _seven_ , because Momoi, as the team’s manager and sort-of assistant coach) were standing in front of Sanada, staring at the man with disbelief. Teikō had always demanded much. By now, it was something they were used to, but this — this was beyond every human measure.

Akashi’s face was stoic, as he stared at the man (the man they loathed the most on the entire planet, the man who was more like a slave-driver, than a coach), heterochromatic eyes narrowed.

“Gomen, kantoku? Would you repeat that?“ Akashi asked.

“Next week, you’ll be playing your last match in Teikō’s colours and I want you to win.“

“Don’t we win _all_ the time?“ Aomine murmured sarcasm and bitterness creeping into his words. Teikō was not a kind place and it left its marks on them all. The only thing that kept them from going mad, was that they all shared the same fate. Even if no one else understood them, they understood each other.

Sanada’s smile was sickly-sweet, “Now, now, Aomine-kun. The world belongs to the winners and Teikō taught you all to win. You should be _grateful_.“

“But Daiki is correct,“ Akashi pointed out, suspicion creeping into his tone, “What’s your point?“

“I want you to win with over a hundred points. Whatever the score, be sure to multiply it by a hundred and don’t let them get any more.“

Akashi scowled, “Fixing the scores... why do you think we’d agree to that? Whatever the end score, we can win. No need to fix it.”

Sanada sneered at them, taking a few steps closer. They all stiffened, waiting for Sanada to strike, but instead, he spoke again. “You will do it. Failing to do so means I’ll make sure all your careers are cut short.“

“And how you’d do that?“ growled Kise, not quite convinced, that the man could do it. He would, they were sure of that — he was vile enough to do such things. But they were not sure he could achieve ruining their lives.

“Oh, the bus slipping from the road... some of you dead, others crippled...“ he whispered, the sickly sweet smile still in place, “It wouldn’t take much to ruin your pretty face, Kise-kun. No modelling, no basketball...”

They all growled, eyes narrowing. “Why now? Why _Meikō_?“ Kuroko asked, tone quiet and haunted.

“Oh, because this is the last game you will play for Teikō, Kuroko-kun. Your very last, before graduation. Besides, Meikō has caused our school a headache before. This will be a reminder for them not to cross us ever again.”

“And if we _don’t_ do it?“ the Phantom Sixth growled softly. He wasn’t going to stand by quietly as Meikō got crushed. Ogiwara was his friend and he would _not_ let Teikō reach him. Teikō caused them enough pain — no need for others to suffer, only because Teikō wished for supremacy among the Middle Schools of the country, in every field.

Sanada shifted, leaning closer to the teal-haired boy, “Oh well, how about ruining your future? You’re from a known family... imagine the damage done to your future or the future of your family, if nasty rumours were spread. If you fail and those rumours get out, the best place you can go to is Kirisaki Daīchi. _All of you_ in fact, not only you. And I’d imagine... you and Akashi-kun would even be disinherited. Or maybe your friend and his team may be found with evidence of dopping, that would ruin their chance of becoming sportsmen and drastically limit his choice of High School as well. What High School would admit a player, who had been proved using performance-enhancers at such a young age? What do you think...?“

Kuroko frowned, eyes narrowing icily on the man, “I don’t care much about that...“

“Oh? How about that friend of yours, hm? Is it not your family, who lend the money for that woman’s treatment? Imagine if you failed... your family would disinherit you, the money would be withdrawn and the woman would surely die.”

This time, he growled softly. Sanda knew too much for a coach — damn Teikō. They reached everywhere.

“We’ll do it,“ Akashi cut in, throwing a look at the Phantom. Kuroko swallowed hard, as Sanada took a step back, looking at the redhead.

“Is that so?“ he asked, tone fakely pleasant.

“We’ll do it,“ the Captain repeated, “We’ll let them score in the first quarter and whatever points they get from that... we’ll add a hundred to it.”

“Good. Remind the country —and Meikō, that we stand supreme and unbeatable. Remember our saying.“

The seven of them shared a few glances, cold dread gripping them from the inside. Sanada knew too much — he... or Teikō as a whole, were too good at ruining the lives of those, who stood in the way. They still remembered that guy from the Club.

He had been a Second String player, the only one, who dared to speak up and tell his parents, that Teikō demanded too much and too roughly. That guy had told people what Teikō was like — about the overtime training. About the manipulations and an occasional beating, if they didn’t meet the coaches’ standards. He had spoken up and months later, Kuroko and Kise found the guy on the streets. He had recognised Kise and warned them against defying Teikō — told them, that Teikō (or at least people, who were somehow connected to the school) ruined his parents’ reputation, which led to them losing everything they had, his father committing suicide in shame, while he and his mother tried to get by on the streets. Both teens gave their former schoolmate food and money and swore to warn the others.

Ever since they knew just how fixated Teikō was on winning — nothing was beyond them, to get what they wanted.

“What is our saying?“ Sanada demanded again, this time sharper.

They answered on auto-pilot, still numbed by the threats hanging over their head, _“Hyakku notataki, haykku no shōri.”_

* * *

The seven walked in deathly quiet, glad that the day was over. Once, wearing Teikō’s uniform felt like a privilege — today, it was torture and they wished they could get rid of it.

“Tetsu?“ Aomine called quietly, breaking the oppressive silence around them.

Kuroko looked at his Light, “Yes, Dai?“

Aomine shared a glance with the others and Midorima nodded. Aomine sighed, looking back at his partner and brother in all, but blood. “What did Sanada mean by not paying for treatment? Whose treatment?”

Kuroko swallowed hard, “I have a very good friend — we grew up together. Ogiwara Shigehiro. He taught me basketball. He has a great passion for the game, a lot like you, Dai. His passion was contagious and I came to love basketball the same way. When we went our separate ways after Grade School, we vowed to meet sometime with our official teams and play a game against one another.”

“That’s sweet, Tetsuya...“ Akashi cut in, “but what does that have to do with Sanada’s threat?“

“Ogiwara-kun’s mother had been diagnosed with serious illness in our last year together, before he moved away, to be closer to his school. My family are on good terms with his, although it’s mostly because of our friendship. So my parents agreed to pay for Ogiwara-san’s treatment. He loves his mother very much... and I would never be able to look Ogiwara in the eyes, if... if my parents withdrew support and she died because of it. The deal I made with my parents, means that we can meet and have fun and everything, despite him being much further away. They just said it cannot affect my performance in school.“

“Oh, so _that’s_ where you disappear off to, for the weekends, Tet-chin?“ Murasakibara asked, “Meeting this friend of yours?“

Kuroko nodded, “Hai. And... and Ogiwara-kun plays for Meikō. He’s their best player — their Small Forward.”

All of them hissed and flinched at the words. To think Kuroko was caught up in this even more, than any of them... It was hard to believe. Usually, it was Akashi or Midorima, who were in such unfavourable situations, due to the influence of their families. And now... now it was _Kuroko_ out of them all. But then again, all students of Teikō were from wealthy families, after all, it was an elite school.

“Oh... Tetsu...“ Momoi whispered, her eyes going wide, “W-what will you — we... do?“

They all shared a look, though Akashi’s sharp gaze lingered the longest on his (former) protégé. “We do, what we always do, Satsuki. We win.”

Kuroko took a shaky breath and nodded, looking at his feet, “That’s the only way.”

* * *

The five members of the _Kiseki no Sedai_ eyed their Phantom Sixth with worry. The match had barely started, but it was obvious, that Kuroko was far from focused. It was Meikō’s Number Seven, whom Kuroko kept his eyes on, so they assumed that was his friend, Ogiwara.

“Oi, Sei... what should we do?“ Aomine asked as they took a break. The First Quarter was over and just as they’d agreed with Sanada, they’d allowed Meikō to score. They were not bad... but far cry from being a challenge. However, the team had to admit, that their Phantom’s friend _was good_ , indeed the best of the team.

“What do you mean, Daiki?“ he asked quietly.

The Power Forward huffed, “It’s obvious. Tetsu can’t focus. He’s been fumbling with his passes,“ he murmured, “Besides... if we have to do this, do you want him to be there? To watch them? It’s obvious Meikō can’t follow him — the Ogiwara guy sees him, yes, but Tetsu’s faster and more precise. Ogiwara had not been able to catch him so far, but don’t tell me you hadn’t noticed.“

“Daicchi’s right...“ Kise murmured, “Tetsucchi’s been hesitant all this time. He _never_ hesitates, when handling a ball.”

“And it would not do him any good, if he were here,“ Midorima added, “watching this... that is. It would be even worse than it already is.”

Murasakibara frowned, “And kantoku might notice he’s not as good, as he usually is. He’s been already giving Tet-chin too many nasty glances. That will mean trouble for him. But even if we tell this to Tet-chin, he won’t sit out willingly.”

Midorima snorted, green eyes flashing with contempt, “Not that _kantoku_ would allow him to stay out of the game, without a very _valid_ reason.”

For a moment, there was deathly quiet. Then Akashi noticed Kuroko returning — his face was as passive as ever, but the blue orbs were full of pain and helpless fury. “We’ll take _drastic_ measures.“

Aomine frowned, “I don’t like that tone, Sei...“

Akashi threw the dark-skinned boy a regretful, yet resolute look, “We’ll injure him. He can’t stay on the court, while injured. Ryōta will have to step in for him and he’ll have to leave the court.”

“Isn’t that a bit... _extreme_ , Sei?“ Momoi whispered, worry clouding her gaze.

“It is, Satsuki,“ he said quietly, regret already clouding his words, “but we have to protect him from the worst of this. I don’t want to break _him_ too — it’s bad enough we have to break Meikō. Don’t make me worry for one of our own, as well.”

No one answered, as Kuroko finally made it back giving them all a strained smile. A smile, that didn't reach his eyes. But then again, they’d all forgotten how to smile, when it came to basketball, a long time ago.

When the whistle sounded again, they walked onto the court once more. It didn’t take long for Kuroko to steal the ball from the opponent, Ogiwara stopped him, eyes narrowed a smile on his face, “It’s nice to see you, Kuroko. But don’t think that’ll work against me. We’ll win this.”

Kuroko swallowed hard face passive. “We’re called the _Kiseki no Sedai_ with a reason, Ogiwara-kun. You won’t win,“ and then, he dodged past his friend, sending the ball flying towards Aomine, who was already in position. A moment later, the buzzer went off, signalling another point for Teikō.

Meikō got the ball again, but it didn’t take much for Akashi to steal the ball and the Captian narrowed his focus on their Phantom. They all knew Kuroko’s movement pattern, while on the court —but he and Aomine knew him the best. They could anticipate him on a level, that no one else could and so, it wasn’t hard to sabotage him, either.

With guilt flaring in his gut, Akashi sent the ball flying, just as Kuroko dodged past Meikō’s Power Guard, his gaze seeking Aomine. By the time Kuroko glanced towards his Captain, who was just supposed to send the ball...

... he realised too late, that Akashi had changed the timing of the pass and he froze for a split second. It was enough for the ball to hit him in the chest —hard— sending him careening towards the floor, as he had been off-balance. He flailed, trying to soften his fall, but all it did was make things worse.

He fell onto his arm, hitting his head hard against the floor. Even his breath left his lungs, making it feel as if someone has suddenly squeezed his chest with an iron grip. His ears rang from the sharp sound of the whistle.

“Tetsu!” Aomine and Midorima called at once.

“Tetsuya!”

The next minute, Aomine was crouching next to his Shadow, eyes shining with worry, as he gently shifted his partner, “Tetsu? Are you okay?“

Kuroko winced, squeezing his eyes shut, “I— I hit my head.“

Aomine cursed under his breath. The next moment, Midorima was on the Shadow’s other side and they gently nudged the teal-haired player to his feet. However, the moment they let go, Kuroko staggered and they had to grab him again, to help him remain upright.

“Tetsuya?“ Akashi inquired, as the entire team lingered worriedly around their Phantom. The move had been planned, but it had ended up badly. They hadn’t counted on their sure-footed friend being off-balance, in the moment of collision.

“Dizzy,“ Kuroko muttered, his eyes sliding shut, as Midorima and Aomine helped him towards their bench. A pair of medics were already there, eyeing the injured player. Even Sanada had a frown on his face.

“He hit his head pretty hard,“ Midorima said, as they allowed the two professionals to take over, “He should stay out for the rest of the game. And from what I noticed, he fell onto his arm.”

The man glanced at him and nodded, “Don’t worry, we’ll take care of your teammate.”

“Momoi-chan,“ Sanda called, as the two people dressed in white helped Kurko walk away, “Please go with the medics and stay with Kuroko until we leave.“

Momoi was on her feet in a second, nodding, “Of course, kantoku,“ she threw a glance at the remaining players, “Be careful, for the rest of the game, please.”

Kise flashed her a strained smile, “Don’t worry Satsucchi. Just make sure Tetsucchi’s okay until we finish.“

“Of course, Ryō,“ she murmured, whirling on her heels and dashing away.

Kise took a deep breath and then looked at his teammates, before stealing a glance at their coach. The man gave them a sharp, warning look. The message was clear. _No more mistakes today._

Their limbs weighed down by guilt, the five members of the infamous team walked onto the court once more. They had a game to win.

* * *

Momoi Satsuki frowned at her friend, as the two medics left. They said it wasn’t too serious and that after a few days of rest and using some cream for his arm, he should be fine again. It wasn’t serious, but it was still _worse_ than what they’d originally planned and that made her feel wretched on the inside. Kuroko was in bed with a bandaged head and a bruise forming on his arm because the boys had planned it so. Because they all agreed, the Phantom shouldn’t be on the court.

“Are you okay, Tetsu?“ she asked softly.

Kuroko glared at her, but there was no real power behind the blue orbs. “Don’t play clueless, Satsuki. It doesn’t suit you,“ he sighed, as he shifted on the bed, his head sinking further into the pillow.

Momoi flinched, looking guiltily at the Phantom, “Tetsu...“

“Seijūrō and Daiki know me too well, to mess this sort of thing up. Sei’s eyes are too sharp and he’s always three steps ahead of us all. You’ve _planned_ this... hadn’t you?“ his tone was turning colder and more accusatory with every word spoken.

Momoi looked into her lap with a soft sigh, “We’re sorry, Tetsu. I... I think they didn’t mean it to be _this_ bad. They just wanted you to have something minor... to force kantoku to change you out. We... we all noticed how distracted you were, playing against your friend. Sei said he couldn’t watch Teikō break you even more,“ she whispered, “and we all agreed on this. You shouldn’t have been forced to...“ she trailed off, a tear running down her face, as she reached out, to grab his hand.

Kuroko frowned, but as their hands intertwined, his eyes glinted with subdued gratefulness. “A part of me wants to be angry and march back out, to give a piece of my mind to them all, for planning this. Another part of me is grateful. The twenty points I helped the team score already feel awful... because I knew it will be multiplied. And now...”

Momoi sighed, as she changed her spot. She stood up without letting go of Kuroko’s hand and sat onto the edge of the bed, then she leaned down, with the Phantom draping an arm around her. “We’re sorry, Tetsu,“ she murmured, visibly miserable.

“No need to apologise, Nē-san. I understand...”

* * *

The final score was 111 — 11 and Kuroko decided, in a tiny crevice of his mind, which wasn’t filled with sadness and self-loathing, that he _despised_ number eleven. He _never_ wanted to do anything with number eleven in his life ever again.

Seeing the hopelessness on the Meikō members faces were horrible, but what was even worse... was seeing his teammates’ (siblings’) faces so stoic and carefully expressionless when their eyes were filled with melancholy.

When they lined up and received the golden medal for winning the championship — Kuroko had been allowed out of bed with a warning, that he should rest properly afterwards,— it felt like someone put a piece of lead around his neck.

It was said, that victory tasted sweet, but all Kuroko Tetsuya could feel, was bitterness. They walked into their locker room in deathly quiet and only when the door closed behind them, did the team look at him, worry sparking in their gazes.

“Tet-chin?“ Murasakibara called, “Does it hurt anywhere?“

“I apologise, Tetsuya...“

Kuroko shook his head, cutting his (former) mentor off with a sharp look. “There’s nothing to apologise for, Seijūrō. Tsuki explained everything. A part of me is angry... another is grateful. It... I couldn’t have gone through this match and I fear to think of what Sanada would have done afterwards. I got away with a bruise and a little headache. I should be fine in a few days, they said.”

The team breathed a sigh of relief, as they changed, Kuroko being the only one, who didn’t bother with it and only grabbed his Teikō sweater, pulling it on, to hide the bruise on his arm. No-one stopped him, as he left the locker room.

He wandered the corridor aimlessly and stopped when he noticed a vending machine. He grabbed some coins and bought a drink.

“Kuroko...“ a soft, broken voice called. A voice Kuroko knew as well, as he knew his own.

He turned to see his childhood friend. Ogiwara looked haggard and even now, Kuroko could detect the barely hidden despair on his features. It made his heart squeeze in guilt and self-loathing. He’d allowed this to happen... ( _For the greater good_ , a voice whispered in the back of his mind, _You caused him pain, so he wouldn’t have to be alone._ )

“Ogiwara-kun,“ he greeted quietly, doing his best to keep his tone distant and neutral.

“It seems you won...“

Kuroko nodded slightly, not quite sure how to handle the situation. Ogiwara’s stormy feelings were clear to see and he didn’t want to cause a scene. “That we did.”

“You... you didn’t even... you didn’t even look surprised.”

“We always win,“ he whispered.

“And do you always _fix_ the scores?!“ Ogiwara growled out, anger and grief in his eyes.

Kuroko didn’t even twitch at the sharp tone, “We’re Teikō, Ogiwara-kun. We stand Ever-victorious.”

Ogiwara growled, tears of anger and betrayal rolling down his face, “ _What sort of friend are you?!_ We promised to play each other... and you twist our promise in such a way! I thought we were friends!”

Kuroko took a breath, reminding himself of Akashi’s lessons on emotional control. He had to play this cool. Ogiwara will never know what he had done, but that was alright. His friend should never know the true nature of Teikō. “You are my friend.”

“Am I?“ Ogiwara spat back, “I remember you saying that you hated arrogant bastards, who look down on others. The kind of guys, who were on Teikō’s First String. Egotistic, scornful, ruthless... And now? Now that you’re one of them...”

Kuroko’s eyes narrowed, “A part of me can understand your disappointment. You lost badly, after all. But _do not_ badmouth my teammates.”

Ogiwara paused, looking at him incredulously, “W-what? They fix the score, they humiliate us... and they even injure you and you _defend_ them?“

Kuroko pressed his lips together, “Yes, I defend them. They are my teammates and my friends. You do not know them, the way I do, Ogiwara-kun. They do things with a reason.”

Ogiwara shook his head, “So _they_ are your friends first? You toss your childhood friend aside for the likes of _them_?“

Kuroko shook his head, “I’m not tossing you aside, Ogiwara-kun. This was just a match...“

“Just a match? Do you _hear_ yourself talking, Kuroko? You... _you helped them_! You helped them do it! You knew it. You didn’t seem surprised... you knew what they were planning and _you let them_! Are you lying to me or yourself? Was our friendship a trick too?“

Kuroko shook his head again, “It wasn’t... I truly consider you a...“

“ _I don’t_ ,“ Ogiwara said coldly, “This is not the Kuroko I’ve grown up with. The Kuroko Tetsuya I know has a gentle heart and would help others to make their lives better. You helped _destroy_ lives today. I don’t know who you are... wearing the face of my former best friend, but you are _not_ Kuroko. Who are you?”

The Phantom swallowed, searching Ogiwara’s gaze. He found nothing but hate and disgust in the brown depths. _‘Don’t give up now,‘_ he told himself, _‘This was part of the deal. Teikō reaches everywhere... like this, my parents won’t hear anything of failure, because there was no failure. No failure. They’ll fund Ogiwara-san’s treatment and he won’t have to stay alone. It’s bad enough he lost his father already... I’m doing this for you, Ogiwara-kun_.‘

“ _I am_ Kuroko Tetsuya,“ he said firmly, tone still low, “I’m Kuroko Tetsuya, _Phantom Sixth_ of Teikō’s _Kiseki no Sedai_.”

Ogiwara shook his head, “Then you’re not the person I’ve grown up with. I don’t even want to see you ever again. Go... go back to those monsters. You’re so proud of being one of them... then go back to them.“

Kuroko frowned, “They are _not_ monsters, Ogiwara-kun. They are my teammates. _My siblings_ ,“ he said firmly.

“Only a monster would defend another monster,“ Ogiwara scoffed, “You... you always said you’ll never be like them. Look into a mirror, Kuroko. You’re just like them.”

Kuroko paused. _Yes_ , he was like the others — passionate about basketball and hard-working. Defending the other Club members of Teikō. The better the six of them performed on the court, the less the pressure on the other Strings. They helped the other players because it was the right thing to do — because it was their duty. So yes, he was like the other Kiseki. Somone, who loved basketball, someone who knew his duty and someone willing to withstand the scorn of others, so that the ones he cared about (Ogiwara included) would be safe and happy.

“I’m proud to call them my teammates and I’m proud to be one of them,“ he said, tone even, face blank.

“Then... we have nothing more to say to each other. Forget I ever existed, Kuroko, because that’s what **_I_** will do. You lied to me — our friendship was built on lies and this won’t continue. You surely had a good laugh, behind my back... but no longer. I may have been blind, but I’m not a fool,“ Ogiwara whirled on his heels and strode away.

Kuroko’s breath hitched and he broke down crying, right then and there. He had done, what he did, to make sure Ogiwara would stay happy. That he would still have someone to go home to, at the end of the day... and in exchange, he lost his childhood friend.

Akashi found him there, huddled next to the vending machine, drowning in his tears. The redhead helped him to his feet without a word and steered him towards the bathroom. Akashi helped him get cleaned up and rubbed circles onto his back, to calm him down, waiting for him to compose himself. It took longer than Kuroko would have liked and by the time they stepped out onto the corridor again, the entire team was there, looking at him worriedly.

No one said a word, as they hugged each other. “He hates me,“ Kuroko choked out, “Ogiwara hates me.“

“You saved him, Tetsu,“ Aomine said, “You said it yourself, that the only family he’s left, is his sick mother.”

“Hai.”

“You saved him from being alone,“ Midorima pointed out, “And you saved a life. If her treatment is only a question of funds... you saved her life.”

“I know... but I still feel so _wretched_...“

“We’re here, Tetsucchi. You have us.“

“We’ll never leave you, Tet-chin,“ Murasakibara said, “You’re one of us. You taught us, that we could only trust each other.“

“We’re family,“ Momoi murmured, as they huddled even closer together for another moment.

Then, they slowly disentangled themselves and Kuroko took a deep breath to calm down. Once the team deemed their Phantom presentable enough, they headed towards the bus, Kuroko firmly in the team’s protective circle, Akashi’s hand resting lightly on his arm.

“I lied to him...“ Kuroko murmured.

“You omitted some truths, to protect him,“ Akashi corrected firmly, gently, “That’s entirely different, Tetsuya.”

“It doesn’t _feel_ different,“ the teal murmured darkly.

“There’s nothing one wouldn’t do for the people they love. Even if it hurts them... it’s done for them,“ the Captain stated.

Kuroko could only nod because he understood perfectly. The team had injured him to protect him from having to see Meikō’s fall. To spare him the greater pain, just the way he had done with Ogiwara. He helped his team crush Meikō so that Ogiwara would not have to be alone.

That day, an old friendship shattered irreparably. That day another team was destroyed by the infamous ~~five~~ ... _six_ of Teikō.

That day, the Kiseki no Sedai made an Oath. An oath, which bound them as a team, as a family forever —even when they would go to different schools.

Whispers, speculations and lies would rise about the infamous six of Teikō. An entire nation would wonder, how —why a team like theirs fell apart.

But that was just another lie of Teikō’s.

For the six (seven) were still a team, still a family. No... in fact, their bonds would just be strengthened by the distance and anyone, who bothered to _see_ and not just look, would understand, that the _Kiseki no Sedai_ could never be forced apart.

Teikō as a school was seen as perfect and shining, an example for others — many, after all, coveted their influence and the skills of the Kiseki. But Teikō was built on lies.

And anyone, who bothered to look, would see seven pair of empty eyes, whenever Teikō was mentioned. Of course, no one would ever see. There would be one occasion when the “weakest“ of the six would show his true feelings and hint at Teikō’s nature...

_Upon joining Seirin’s Basketball team, Kuroko would be given a jersey with the number 11 on it. However, right then and there — right where Kaijō would see, as it would happen during Kaijō and Seirin’s first meeting for a practice match,—Kuroko would light the jersey with a malevolent smile on his face and drop the burning fabric into the metal trashcan and walk away._

_Seirin (and even Kaijō) would gape and it would be left to Kise Ryōta — former teammate and menté of the Phantom,— to explain, that if there was one thing, that Kuroko Tetsuya_ **_hated with burning, unrelenting passion,_ ** _it was the number eleven._

_Following that incident, Seirin would provide their Phantom player with a new jersey— on Kise’s suggestion,— with Number Fifteen and the incident would never be spoken of again._

And even that one time would escape everyone. No one would see the truth— _the hurt_ — hidden behind seven pairs of empty eyes.

**Author's Note:**

>  _About the changed jersey number for Kuroko... well, with how the match ended in 111-11... I am honestly surprised Kuroko had not come to loath the very number, after all, it is quiet significant. So... I kind of went with him hating it here, because he has every reason, just as he had every reason in canon. And yes, he got 15 to remind him of his First String days in Teikō, because even if the KnS do not exactly have fond memories of the place, they had each other and they found family in each other and that is something all of them cherishes._  
> 
> 
> As always, please leave comments and tell me what you think.
> 
> The mentioned story has already been delated, for which I am grateful... But I STILL feel like this has to be said/written, because such things happen all over the fandom communities and as a fan/fanfic writer myself, I believe reposting/stealing is both unfair AND unethical. Please, for everyone's happiness, BE CONSIDERATE of your fellow creative fans!
> 
> And while the anime/characters are not mine, I DO NOT appreciate people taking my work without giving me credit or notifying me somehow. I understand, when someone's work inspires others to write something SIMILAR, it happened to me, too. But by no ways have I copied other writers' words AND posted them as my own.  
> If you want to write something similar to an existing work, be sure to notify the original writer OR if you want to use the EXACT AU they created, consult them somehow. A comment does not take too long to write and I'm sure, others would appreciate it and consider letting their idea be used.


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